RWBY: Journey of Light and Dark
by Marsa The Redeemed
Summary: Their journey to become huntsmen and huntresses has only begun as Teams MTAL, ORCJ, and SLVR deal with the aftermath of Shattered Hollows defeat. The Kingdom of Valethornia will only get more dangerous as the plans of Lucidiores Umbras come to fruition. First Chapter has M-Rated Content but the Story itself is T for language and violence. Second Arc of Light and Dark RWBY-verse.
1. Prologue

RWBY: Journey of Light and Dark

Prologus: The Decision

A/N: So this is the second arc of my RWBY-verse stories. Starts off before Crimson and Malyganya's scene from the epilogue of POLAD. Hope to get the same support from you all that the first arc got.

 **Word of warning: This chapter contains scenes some readers might find inappropriate for children and readers under the age of eighteen. Discretion is advised.**

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy – Twenty-one days after the event_

Malyganya sat on the window sill of the empty room overlooking the field below. The sun was going down and cast a small bronze glow over the sky. The young woman heard the door open but didn't turn around to see who had entered as a pair of footsteps made their way over to the large desk at the front of the room. Malyganya heard the soft patter as the person jumped and sat on the desk as the door opened once more and a second set of footsteps walked into the room.

Malyganya had always prided herself on being a straightforward person in both her thoughts and actions. Right now however she found her thoughts dancing around in her mind as she tried to mentally calm herself. Breathing in deeply the young huntress-in-training slowly exhaled and turned to face the two people she had called to meet her.

"Layla, Orpheus; thank you both for coming. We have a lot to talk about, or rather I have a lot to say to you both." Malyganya said to her friends.

Layla sat on the teacher's desk with a more serious expression than Malyganya had ever seen her have. Orpheus's expression was a little harder to read but Malyganya could tell that he too was serious. Exhaling once more Malyganya began to pace from right to left.

"I've noticed from both of you that you wish to pursue a romantic relationship with me. There is only one me however while there are two of you. I value synergy and order. The relationship between us and our teams can't be affected by my decision. I would rather choose neither of you than choose one but I have also noticed that my feelings on the matter are rather heightened and can't be ignored." The young woman began.

"Maly, no matter who you choose, I'll support you like I always have. You're my friend first and I decided to follow you down whatever path you choose." Layla affirmed.

"Malyganya, I have had feelings for you since the day we met but I let them get in the way before and it was wrong of me to do so. I've matured a lot since then and now I've got a better grasp on how to act as both a person and a leader. No matter your choice I will continue to treat you and your team with the utmost of respect." Orpheus stated with a slight bow.

Malyganya nodded with an uncharacteristic girlish smile on her face.

"It means so much to hear you both say those words." She told them before first hugging Orpheus and then hugging Layla.

"You are both dear friends of mine and I have seen your true feelings for me, and the lengths you were willing to go for those feelings." Malyganya continued.

"Orpheus, you pushed yourself to improve as you watched me from on far. You worked hard to make your feelings resolute. You've always had admiration for me and I believe it was that admiration that made you believe you loved me." Malyganya stated.

"Layla, you were drawn to me from the moment we met and have been very vocal with your feelings for me. However, you were also withdrawn and didn't open yourself to me so I could never tell if your feelings were genuine and I doubt you could either." Malyganya turned her attention to her teammate this time.

"It wasn't until we lost Jett that you, Orpheus finally found your resolution was steeled enough to confront me with your feelings and at that point I knew you loved me." Orpheus heard the words and smiled softly at the acknowledgment.

"Layla, you saw our kiss and your armor began to crack. You who had kept yourself guarded and protected had shown me a true emotion, jealousy. When I confronted you later in the forest and tore the rest of your armor off I was able to see that your feelings for me had always been genuine." Layla blushed at Malyganya's words and tried to distract herself by staring at her feet.

"So here we stand knowing that both of you love me. Know this because it is important, I love you both and I cherish you and your friendship." Malyganya said before she walked over to Orpheus.

"Orpheus my love for you however goes no further than friends. I respect you and you will always have a place in my heart but I do not share the same romantic feelings for you that you have for me." Malyganya said the words with a slight break in her voice as tears filled her eyes.

Orpheus saw the pain in her expression and knew that it hurt her to deny him what had become his primary driving force since the start of the academy. Closing his eyes Orpheus fought back the tears that threatened to come forth as he embraced Malyganya in a warm hug.

"Maybe in another life, you might have chosen me." He whispered softly.

Flashes of two children running and an older Orpheus waking up next to her flashed in Malyganya's mind. She had had the dream before and it was always either Layla or Orpheus who woke up next to her. The amount of children was different depending on who it was but Malyganya knew enough about herself to know that the dreams were telling her about how she felt regarding her two friends.

The two broke their embrace and stared at one another for a few seconds before Malyganya planted a soft kiss on Orpheus's cheek. Orpheus looked over to Layla, half-expecting the female to have a smirk of pride on her face but was surprised when the expression she had was nothing but respectful. She was smiling but it was one of acknowledgment as if the two had both won and lost the same contest.

"Take care of her Layla, she's special." Orpheus said as he walked away.

"I know she is; you won't have to worry about a thing." Layla replied as she dropped from the desk and walked over to Malyganya and grabbed her hand, looping their fingers together.

The couple stood in silence for a few seconds before turning to face one another. They smiled and blushed before leaving the classroom and heading back towards their room. They knew it would be empty for the next few hours as Amber was in the library studying and Taz was staying with Team ORCJ for the night.

 **You're so hypnotizing  
Could you be the devil?  
Could you be an angel?**

As they made it into the room the two girls immediately began kissing one another as they made their way over to Malyganya's bed. Between kisses they giggled and laughed at the new sensation of happiness they felt. Still kissing both girls removed their shoes before falling on the bed together in a heap.

As they lay on the mattress Malyganya and Layla couldn't help but laugh as they held one another together. Bright blue eyes stared into dark hazel colored ones as the two females began to kiss once more. Their eyes closed as their hands began to slowly caress one another's bodies.

 **Your touch magnetizing  
Feels like I am floating  
Leaves my body glowing**

Malyganya activated her semblance and lifted their bodies an inch or so off the bed as she began to psychically undress Layla. The aura that came with the use of her semblance illuminated Layla's body with an ethereal shine as her jacket and shirt were slowly removed. Layla smiled against Malyganya's lips as she moved her own hands over her girlfriend's curves and unbuttoned Malyganya's blouse before pulling the garment down and off her partner's shoulders.

 **They say, be afraid  
You're not like the others  
Futuristic lover  
Different DNA  
They don't understand you**

With her upper torso now exposed, Malyganya could feel the cool air of the room against her heated skin as her breathing began to increase. Layla proceeded to leave a trail of kisses from Malyganya's lips along her jaw and down her collarbone before kissing the tops of Malyganya's breasts playfully. With her partner leaning into the touch Layla proceeded to remove the blouse as she nestled her face against Malyganya's chest in a warm embrace.

The two lovers continued with their slow and sensual motions as they undressed one another. Layla took an extra amount of care as she pulled Malyganya's stockings off and trailed kisses down the girls legs before kissing back up along the inner thigh which cause Malyganya to gasp first from the slight wave of pleasure before giggling from the tickling sensation. Layla merely smiled against her lover's skin before pulling her head from beneath the skirt and climbing on top of Malyganya.

 **You're from a whole 'nother world  
A different dimension  
You open my eyes  
And I'm ready to go  
Lead me into the light**

With deliberately slow motions Layla caressed Malyganya's breasts before moving one hand to the small of the girl's back and unclasping her bra. The undergarment was slowly removed exposing Malyganya's bare chest. Raising up Layla looked down at the blushing female before reaching back to undo her own bra.

"No" Malyganya called out in a soft almost sultry voice.

Layla, then felt the invisible touch of Malyganya's telekinesis against her skin. It felt exactly the same as Malyganya's touch as the invisible hands worked their way over her body. Two more hands made their presence known as they began to tenderly fondle Layla's breasts.

They caressed the mounds slowly and worked their way to her back before unclasping her bra and removing it. Layla laughed softly as the garment was thrown off to the side before leaning down and pressing her forehead against Malyganya's.

"That semblance of yours is going to make this a lot more exciting." Layla said in a husky whisper as she slowly pulled down Malyganya's skirt, leaving the girl in only her panties.

Malyganya responded in kind by undoing Layla's pants and pulling them off with her own hands savoring the moment their bare bodies began to touch one another.

 **Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me**  
 **Infect me with your love and**  
 **Fill me with your poison**

With both girls stripped down to nothing but their underwear Layla pressed her breasts against Malyganya's and locked their lips together in a deep and passionate kiss. With their hands free the girls began to once again explore one another's bodies. This was a new experience for both of them and they wanted to enjoy it as best as they could.

They cupped one another's breasts and caressed their partner's skin as their bodies rubbed against one another. Their legs intertwined as their bodies began to move in throes of passion.

Rolling their bodies over Malyganya placed herself on top while pinning Layla beneath her. Her lover looked up at her with a mixture of fear, anticipation, and lust which caused Malyganya to smile as she reached behind her to remove Layla's final article of clothing.

 **Take me, ta-ta-take me**  
 **Wanna be a victim**  
 **Ready for abduction**

With her girlfriend now completely naked and at her mercy Malyganya thought back to the various books she had read and educational videos she had watched regarding safe sex and how to practice it before she slid her index and middle fingers into Layla's awaiting slit.

The slick wetness her fingers encountered almost made Malyganya pull away but when she saw Layla's eyes close and heard the soft moan of pleasure escape the girls lips, she refrained before sliding her fingers in deeper. Layla arched her back slightly at the touch.

 **Girl, you're an alien**  
 **Your touch so foreign**  
 **It's supernatural**  
 **Extraterrestrial**

Taking the physical and audio responses as ques to move forward Malyganya lowered her face to Layla's breasts and began kissing the soft plush mounds softly while lightly sucking at the skin. As she worked the sensitive spots up top Malyganya made sure not to neglect the pleasure she was bringing from below. Her fingers rubbed in and out of Layla's slit with long smooth motion as she tried to push them further inside with each thrust. She could feel Layla's body quiver with excitement in response to her actions and didn't let up as she continued.

 **You're so supersonic**  
 **Wanna feel your powers**  
 **Stun me with your lasers**  
 **Your kiss is cosmic**  
 **Every move is magic**

As Layla squirmed in pleasure beneath her lover, a thought came to Malyganya's mind. She applied a thin layer of telekinetic energy to her fingers and began vibrating the digits as she thrust them. Layla's eyes flew open as she releases a small pleasurable scream. Finding her partner's reaction to the stimulating motion to be positive Malyganya applied the same technique to her thumb before placing it on Layla's clit.

The sounds of pleasure that erupted from Layla's throat were indescribable as she called out Malyganya's name along with various different gods from multiple faiths. Malyganya didn't let up as she increased the thumb's vibrations as well as spreading her fingers within Layla's clit and vibrating them with more intensity but less speed. Layla's hands found Malyganya's face as she lifted the girl to her level and began kissing her deeply.

 **You're from a whole 'nother world**  
 **A different dimension**  
 **You open my eyes**  
 **And I'm ready to go**  
 **Lead me into the light**

Layla continued to moan and scream but the sounds were caught in Malyganya's mouth as their tongues battle one another. Not to be the only one receiving pleasure Layla took the opportunity to begin playing with Malyganya's breast. She squeezed them playfully and felt Malyganya almost turn to jelly from the action. Breaking their kiss the girls both breathed heavily as they tried to catch their breath.

"I just found your sweet spot Maly." Layla whispered huskily as she gave her girlfriend's breasts another squeeze. Malyganya arched herself further into the touch while moaning Layla's name softly. Smiling broadly Layla pushed the breasts together and began to softly nibble at the skin. In between the nibbling she would take a slightly harder bite which caused Malyganya to jump from both the slight pain and pleasure she felt. Even while being pleasured Malyganya was still able to keep up her end with her fingers in Layla's slit.

 **Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me**  
 **Infect me with your love and**  
 **Fill me with your poison**

Soon the stimulation became too much for Layla as she cried out Malyganya's name only to have her exclamation muffled by Malyganya catching her lips in a kiss. Layla had climaxed over the Malyganya's hand leaving it glistening as the teenager in question raised it to her face and began sucking the juices from her fingers. Layla lay back on her elbows breathing heavily as Malyganya began to slowly kiss around her breasts before suckling at one of her nipples.

 **Take me, ta-ta-take me**  
 **Wanna be a victim**  
 **Ready for abduction**

As soon as Layla got her second wind she quickly shifted positions with Malyganya and placed the girl beneath her, before rather violently ripping off her girlfriend's panties. The look of shock and slight fear that briefly pass over Malyganya's face at Layla's renewed vigor was priceless.

Layla made sure to engrave it in her mind before she went to work pleasure her lover. First she grabbed Malyganya's breasts and squeezed them intensely while pinching the nipples with her index finger and thumb. Malyganya was blinded as pleasure shocked throughout her body.

Layla didn't let up as she placed her head in between Malyganya's thighs and her legs over her own shoulders. Layla had never done this before but she had heard enough stories from others to have a general idea of what to do.

First she licked the slit slowly caressing her tongue over the folds of skin before her. She was mildly surprised to find that Malyganya was clean shaven without even a hint of stubble. The smooth skin felt pleasant against her tongue as moved her face in closer.

Finding Malyganya's clit, Layla bit down softly and began grating her teeth from side to side over the sensitive organ. Malyganya felt her body shudder with pleasure as Layla worked her sensitive areas into a frenzy. Laying back and enjoying the motions Malyganya began to run her hand through Layla's hair slowly while keeping her body balanced with her free arm.

 **Girl, you're an alien**  
 **Your touch so foreign**  
 **It's supernatural**  
 **Extraterrestrial**

After the initial playful stimulation Layla got more serious with her methods of delivering pleasure. She activated her semblance and increased both hers and Malyganya's feeling of touch. Not expecting the sudden increase of pleasure Malyganya cried out in both surprise and pleasure when Layla's touch became more sensual and her lover's fingers enter her slit. Layla may not have had the ability to become a human-sized vibrator but when she could multiple the amount of pleasure delivered an infinite number of times, it didn't really matter.

Her fingers playfully scratched at the inside of Malyganya's slit's walls as they went to work thrusting and spreading within the slick crevice. Malyganya's soft moans of pleasure and gasps of breathless excitement were like music to Layla's ears as she continued her pulsating motions. As Layla's fingers explored her lovers slit she felt a slightly more swollen area near the entrance of the slit. Curiously rubbing her fingers over the area Layla was rewarded with a piercing cry as Malyganya clenched a fistful of of her hair and forced her mouth towards the slit.

Smiling at the discovery Layla positioned her mouth over Malyganya's clit while her index and middle fingers rested over the newly discovered g-spot. In one motion Layla carefully but pleasurably bit the clit while pressing into the g-spot at the same time.

 **This is transcendental**  
 **On another level**  
 **Girl, you're my lucky star**

Malyganya only saw white as her mind was flooded with endorphins. Her eyes shifted black as she telepathically linked herself to Layla. The amount of pleasure she felt was like nothing she had ever experienced before and she wanted to share that feeling with her lover.

With their minds linked Layla and Malyganya experienced the blinding pleasure together. While still linked Malyganya created a telekinetic limb. Using her powers with as much precision as she could muster Malyganya forced the invisible psychic forced into Layla's slit.

Layla moaned loudly as her walls were stretched. Malyganya searched the inner-walls of her lover until she too could feel the same swollen mound inside that Layla had found on her. She quickly reconfigured the telekinetic limb to accommodate stimulating the g-spot while placing a solid telekinetic force on Layla's clit. taking a deep breath Malyganya began vibrating her telekinetic constructs while simultaneously moving the limb in and out of Layla.

 **I wanna walk on your wave length**  
 **And be there when you vibrate**  
 **For you I'll risk it all**  
 **All**

With their sense of touch enhanced, their minds linked, and both girls pleasuring one another to the fullest it was only by sheer force of will neither of them passed out from the overflowing flood of pleasure chemicals being released in their minds. From their current position on the bed there was nothing nearby to stifle their cries of pleasure as they screamed each others names.

Obscenities and cries to divine beings were repeated as neither one stopped their action. Layla continued stimulating Malyganya's clit, breasts, and g-spot while her lover created another smaller construct which slid into her slit alongside the first one. The expansion of her walls didn't faze Layla with pain as both she and Malyganya were drowning in euphoric pleasure.

 **Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me**  
 **Infect me with your love and**  
 **Fill me with your poison**

Layla could feel her body reaching its limit and quickly switched up her position so that hers and Malyganya's legs intertwined and their slits could rub against one another. There was an added benefit as the telekinetic limbs Malyganya had created now thrust inside the both of them in a saw like motion by rubbing their clits and g-spots with each teenage girls hugged one another close as their breasts smushed together. Their clits rubbing, g-spots stimulating and lips locked together compounded with their increased sensations drove them over the edge as they climaxed together.

 **Take me, ta-ta-take me**  
 **Wanna be a victim**  
 **Ready for abduction**

The two teenager girls held onto one another as if their lives depended on it. They held each other as if letting go would somehow make everything go away. Neither wanted to break the embrace as their slits continued to seep fluid, soaking their legs. The telekinetic limbs dissipated and allowed the two girls to fully release themselves with contented sighs as the pressure they had felt was released.

Layla trailed her hand through Malyganya's hair and began to kiss her lover deeply. Malyganya responded in kind by sliding her tongue into Layla's mouth. their tongues wrestled over and under one another as their kiss became aggressively passionate. Malyganya's arms wrapped themselves around Layla's neck. Layla's hands grabbed Malyganya's ass lifting the girl slightly.

The motion allowed Layla to grind her slit against Malyganya's clit and stimulate her lover. The moon's pale golden light shone through the nearby window, illuminating both Layla and Malyganya as they held one another. Their bodies shone from the thin layer of sweat that glistened in the moonlight, illuminating their skin an ethereal glaze.

Malyganya continued to grind her clit against Layla, feeling the pleasure build within her. Their kiss which had only briefly broken for them to get air was resumed and their necks pushed back and forth, each girl playfully vying for dominance over the other. Malyganya thought he had gotten the upper hand when her mind received a short burst of blinding pleasure. Layla had move one of her hands so that when Malyganya slid her clit down her fingers would enter the slit.

Upon entry Layla had immediately pressed Malyganya's g-spot and it was just enough to stun her lover with pleasure as she took control of the kiss and pushed Malyganya down slightly. The dominating feeling she felt combined with the simultaneous stimulation of her clit and g-spot was enough to send Malyganya over the edge as she climaxed once more.

 **Girl, you're an alien**  
 **Your touch so foreign**  
 **It's supernatural**  
 **Extraterrestrial**

Malyganya collapsed onto her back, breathless at the experience as her eyes returned to their normal color. Her entire body was aglow as she tried to steady her breathing. The amount of happiness and joy she felt couldn't be described or quantified. All she knew at that moment was that she didn't want Layla to leave her side.

Layla looked down at Malyganya as she slowly lowered herself across h her lover's body. She had only ever been with one other person, a boy before she realized she was attracted to females. She was realizing that this experience completely and utterly destroyed to other one in terms of how they made her feel.

While her body had been stimulated by the act, Layla had felt nothing emotionally during and after. It had only just been sex. With Malyganya however, it was so much more. For Layla this was lovemaking, this was her idea of perfection. She placed her hand over Malyganya's chest and found that their breathing and heartbeats were synchronized, probably as an after effect of their minds being linked.

 **Extraterrestrial**  
 **Extraterrestrial**

Malyganya place her hand over Layla's before intertwining their fingers together. The two dark-haired young women lay in the dark room with only their breathing to keep them company as they basked in one another's glow.

"I love you." Layla said, there was no joking tone in her voice or on her face as she looked Malyganya in the eye.

"I love you too." Malyganya replied before pulling Layla completely on top of her and kissing her deeply and passionately.

 **Girl, you're an alien**  
 **Your touch so foreign**  
 **It's supernatural**  
 **Extraterrestrial**

The lovers stayed in their embrace, neither wanting to leave the other but soon the exhaustion from both the act and their intense use of semblance hit them. Malyganya, with help from Layla was able to cover their naked and slightly sweat-glazed bodies with her comforter. They snuggled closer together as their foreheads touched. The last thing either of them saw before drifting off to sleep was the look of pure love coming from one another.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the Lyrics to Katy Perry's song E.T. They are her property and I only used them within the context of this non-profit story.

A/N: The story has a T-rating with this one chapter being the exception to that. I have a shorter more cleaned up version prepared in the event this one gets taken down. Hope you all enjoyed that hot introduction into the second arc of the Light and Dark RWBY-verse. To the CrimsonxMalyganya fans I can't and won't apologize for this pairing because there was really no way for Crimson and Malyganya to be a couple. Even Crimson's creator didn't want me to put them together so tough luck there. Drop a review with your thoughts while I get started on the next entry.


	2. Chapter I

RWBY: Journey of Light and Dark

Chapter I: Reassignment

A/N: Of the five in-progress stories I have, only this one and Zoids will get regular updates. The other three which are tie-ins or related to the LaD RWBY-verse will be updated when I find myself with time to do them. I don't want the quality of my work to suffer so I wont burn myself out.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy_

 _Would you feel lonely if you were_ _alone?  
_

Malyganya's words echoed in Crimson's mind as he held himself upside down on one hand. The teenage huntsman-in-training was currently working out with his teammates in the academy's gym. It had been two days since the anniversary of Jett's death and Crimson still couldn't get over what Malyganya had said to him. Sure he had grown over the past half year. He cared for his teammates and his friends but could he live without them? This was an uncertainty that brought unease within the young man's mind.

"Crimson!" Roane yelled shaking the white-haired teenager from his thoughts as he lowered himself to the ground.

"What is it?" Crimson asked standing up.

"We've been talking about hitting another site. Shattered Hollow is all but dissolved within the capitol but we still haven't found anything that'll lead us to our target." Roane explained.

"Are we sure this is an active site and not something abandoned?" Crimson asked referring to the last few places they had hit.

"Orpheus has been checking the place out constantly. It's still operational but we don't know exactly what they've been doing." Roane answered as he and Crimson walked over to where Orpheus was currently lifting weights.

Over the past month between training and their covert operations Orpheus had transformed his body. His once lean and lithe frame had now become toned and and defined with muscle. He wasn't jacked up but it was obvious he had been doing strength training and developing a tougher body. Orpheus had let his hair grow out from its neat neck length to past his shoulders. Instead of a neat cut it was spiky and naturally wild giving Orpheus an aura of intimidating authority.

"Roane says you've found our next target." Crimson stated, leaning against a nearby wall.

"Yea, I think this is the big one guys. After dismantling so many of the Shattered Hollow strongholds within the city I think we have finally found their last bastion." Orpheus answered while continuing his workout. He was currently bench pressing close to two-hundred pounds.

"Every time we have hit a major stronghold, the records were always the first thing that were destroyed. If we want to get our hands on them we'll have to use stealth." Orpheus continued.

"It would be easier to just send me in solo." Crimson suggested as he rubbed some of the scars on his cheeks, an old habit he had recently started again once he stopped wearing his scarf.

Roane snickered slightly at the statement.

"Easier, yes but we decided we would all do this as a team. No solo acts Crimson. It's not an option to send you in by yourself." Roane stated looking over to Orpheus for support.

The team leader finished his set and sat up looking between Crimson and Roane.

"It is an option but not one I'm looking to explore." Orpheus said after a brief silence.

"Then what do you have in mind?" Crimson asked.

"You will train Roane and me in the ways of stealth. If we learn ourselves then there is no need to send you, plus it'll be a useful skill to have for the future." Orpheus answered.

This time it was Crimson who snickered.

"What I know cant just be taught on the fly. It takes years to perfect and master." Crimson explained.

"You have a week. We need to learn as much as you cab teach us in that time." Orpheus countered.

"A week? You've never been good at jokes Orpheus. I'd need at least a month to even get through the basics of what I can teach you." Crimson said.

"Don't worry about all that. I've got a way for us to learn at an accelerated rate. Either way in a week we'll hit the stronghold and get the information." Orpheus told his teammates with a small smirk on his face.

Crimson and Roane looked at one another before shrugging slightly. They trusted Orpheus so they'd follow his plan.

 _Unknown Laboratory Location_

 _Where am I?_

 _Why aren't I dead?_

 _I died, didn't I?_

 _The explosion, the club, and my teammates._

 _Why is everything after that a blur?_

The thoughts of his continued existence plagued the young man's mind as he floated in his capsule. He knew things, about himself and his life before his accident but everything that had happened after was a jumbled mess. He couldn't remember how he had survived just that he was alive.

Looking through the glass of the case that entombed him the young man saw three figures, humanoid in shape. The one on the left was standing with its arms, or at least that what they seemed to be crossed while the middle one hunched over a console. The last figure was pointing at the capsule that the young man was in.

 _Who are they?_

 _Why can't I remember?_

 _Did they save me?_

The young man felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him as his world went black. The last image that crossed his mind as he fell unconscious was of him and three other young men all standing together and smiling.

Lance, Magress, and Sasayaki watched the subject fall asleep. It had taken a little longer than scheduled which annoyed Lance to no end but they had finally finished JV36, the first successful Halcyon model that was also a Deacon agent.

Many within the Licht as well as the Schatten had given up on using the Halcyon project. The low success rate and high costs to build a Halcyon unit made it unfeasible to continue open research. Lance had used his own personal funds to create JV36 and so was able to build a Halcyon to his specifications.

While the surgery and modifications to the subject had been a success, the only way Lance would get more funding was if JV36 could perform well within the field. Rather than needlessly showcase his combat prowess Lance had assigned JV36 as a Deacon.

Lance had counted on their leader blindly allowing his Halcyon unit to become field active without much testing. He needed the creation's full abilities kept secret from the others until he was ready to reveal them. Aside from him Serin was the only other person who knew JV36's true power and she was as secretive as he so he could trust she wouldn't reveal anything.

"Sasayaki, are you sure this will work. We only have one shot at this and it can not fail." Lance said looking over at the young man.

Sasayaki licked his knife blade before twisting his mouth into a slightly demented grin.

"Lance still doesn't trust us, even after we got out target and brought him a prize. Maybe you should cut his eyes out." The crazed person in question spoke looking to his left before focusing on Lance.

"No, no no. Lance is our employer. We complete our contracts, that is our rule." He continued to speak as if there were people he was actually conversing with.

"Just make sure this gets to where it needs to be and that it is well taken care of. I have enough to worry about without you screwing this up Sasayaki." Lance stated as he glowered at his associate.

"Easy Lance, he'll get it done. For now we have to get to the meeting. If wee keep the others too long, they'll start to suspect something." Magress stated, calming his twin down.

Lance sighed and shook his head before looking to his brother.

"Very well Magress, let's go. Sasayaki, don't disappoint me." Lance stated as he and Magress left the room leaving Sasayaki with JV36.

 _Valethornia Academy_

Orpheus and his team walked through the halls together. They had finished their workout and changed into their usual attire meant for both casual wear and combat. Orpheus's style had changed the most but was mostly similar to what he had worn during the initiation. He still wore his dress shirt and vest combo but wore them a bit looser than before with the top few buttons of the dress shirt undone. Over the shirt and vest he wore a matching silver two-tailed coat.

The coat extended to about knee length with its small split running along the center from the bottom to his waist. He wore the sleeves rolled past his elbow showing off the definition of muscle in his forearms. Instead of dress pants he wore dark colored slacks that were stylish, breathable, and flexible so as not to restrict his mobility.

His grey dress shoes had been replaced with a pair of grey-silver dress boots. The boots had been custom built to show off a slight air of authority while also being practical for combat. Finishing off Orpheus's new ensemble were the black gloves he wore. They were tight and flexible and fit his hand like a second skin.

Orpheus's new outfit showed his progress as a person and a leader. He had stepped more into the role that had been given to him. From the way he dressed to the way he walked and spoke Orpheus exuded an essence of authority.

Left of Orpheus Crimson walked only a step behind his leader. His change of attire like Orpheus was different to his old outfit but still bore some resemblance. Crimson's pants and footwear hadn't changed and he still wore his belt with the gold skull buckle. instead of a jacket however he wore a sleeveless shirt that matched his pants. The bone pauldrons, wristgaurds and bracers had all been removed showing off the now more developed dragon tattoo that covered the entirety of Crimson's arms from the back of his hands up to his shoulders.

Roane had may the least amount of changes to his outfit. He now wore two bangles, one one each arm instead of just the left one. His entire outfit now consisted of dark colors, mostly black and smoke-silver. He wore black boots that had silver stripes on the sides. His pants were fully black with a silver belt. On the upper body section, he wore a black sleeveless undershirt, and over it was a smoke-silver lightweight long sleeved overcoat that had black portions on the shoulders, the collar, and a cross shape one in the front.

The trio made their way to the headmistress's office and knocked before entering the room. Inside they saw the headmistress sitting behind her desk. Orpheus saw that they weren't alone with the headmistress when he noticed the green-haired fox-tailed faunus girl off to the side. Henrietta Jade, the only surviving member of the former Team SPHR. During the night of the Shattered Hollow raids her team had lost two of their members while the third had been critically injured and was now nothing more than a shell. Henrietta had been in intensive therapy for the pass month to cope with what had happened.

"Orpheus Argento, Crimson Carmine, and Roane Grant. It is good to see you three are doing well." Headmistress Malachite told the young men as they stopped before her.

"I'm confused as to why we were called here ma'am." Orpheus said but he could already guess the reason with Henrietta attending.

"As it stands former Teams SPHR and ORCJ have each lost members. I'm sure none of you need to be reminded of this fact but the deaths of your teammates was a tragedy. Because of their departure however it has been decided that Henrietta Jade of the former Team SPHR will be teamed up with the three of you. You will be re-registered as Team OCHR." The adult woman told her students looking between the four of them for some type of reaction.

"Is this normal procedure ma'am?" Orpheus asked looking over at Henrietta.

"Yes, it is. It's simpler to consolidate forces than it is to leave them as fractured remnants. Now I know that you are all probably strangers to one another but you have all been through a similar tragedy. Find solace with each other in your pain. I expect you boys to treat Henrietta with respect and accept her as your teammate." the headmistress told them.

Henrietta stood up and walked over to the trio giving a small curtsy.

"Hello to you all. I'm Henrietta and it is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance." The vulpine faunus introduced herself.

"Hello Henrietta, I'm Orpheus and the pleasure is all ours." Orpheus greeted with an extended hand.

Henrietta smiled and shook his hand.

"I'm Roane Grant and over there is Crimson Carmine. He's mostly quiet so don't expect much of a greeting from him." Roane stated as he too shook Henrietta's hand.

With the introductions finished the headmistress dismissed the members of Team OCHR so that they could get more acquainted with one another.

* * *

A/N: So not as much action obviously as I'm setting up the plot and subplots. Will most likely go on bi-weekly update schedule for my main stories while updating the three side-stories whenever I get a feel for it.


	3. Chapter II

RWBY: Journey of Light and Dark

Chapter II: Release

A/N: With my new updating schedule you should see an improvement in the quality of my chapters.

* * *

 _Ariana City Ruins_

Layla charged forward before slamming her fist into the body of a beowolf. The creature was sent flying backwards into a small group of creeps. Smiling to herself for the successful attack Layla was almost caught from behind by a boarbatusk that had charged at her with its spin attack. She was saved however by the intervention of Amber, who skewered the beast from the side with her spear.

Looking at one another the two girls flashed a thumb up signal before moving on to the next set of grim. Further away in another section of the city ruins Malyganya fired her rifle at various grim. Taz used his double-sided battle axe, the combination form of his tonfa to fight off the grim in close quarters as a trio of ursa tried to kill him.

Charging his weapon with electricity Taz sliced through an ursa while projecting a field on his blind sides to protect him from the other two which tried to attack him only to be shocked and rebounded. As the two beasts recovered from the unforeseen block Taz went into action by spinning and cleaving through them both with one swing of his axe and decapitating the Grimm.

"Ha, now you're dumb, ugly, and dead!" Taz cried out as the bodies began to dissipate.

Turning around he saw that Malyganya had taken to fighting with her gun in its hybrid form. She fire shot after shot with expert marksmanship while simultaneously using the recoil to enhance her melee attacks. Grimm fell by the dozen to Malyganya's onslaught. When the last beast fell the young leader of Team MTAL exhaled slowly before changing her weapon to its base form and sheathing the blade.

Amber and Layla walked over to join Malyganya and Taz as they all smiled at one another. After the events that transpired in the capital with the Shattered Hollow, Team MTAL along with Team JSMN had been two of the four teams selected from the volunteer group that had been cleared for field work going into the second half of their term. Under the supervision of a professional Huntsman or Huntress the teams were sent to various areas to deal with various issues that had arisen.

Team MTAL had chosen to work exclusively on grimm hunts, grimm eliminations, and grimm clearing. While the three jobs had different titles they all entailed the same thing; killing grimm. Their overseer had also been exclusive. She was introduced to the team as Cybr by the headmistress. At first it was hard to tell Cybr's gender due to her clothing and massive helmet she wore.

When she finally did remove the helmet the team had seen her deathly pale skin almost as if she never stepped into the sun without some type of covering. Her hair which they had thought was part of the wolf head-shaped helmet she wore was long and blood-red but styled in a slightly wild manner. The woman wore a trench coat that was armored with a chest plate and shoulder pardons, pants with armor plating around the thighs, gauntlets that ended in claws and boots that ended with a points. Her clothing followed a black and silver color scheme giving off an air of ferocity.

Since then the team had already gone on and successfully completed roughly two dozen assignments. During that time Cybr never interfered with Team MTAL as they worked preferring to watch from the sidelines. The time had only ever seen her fight once, when a king taijitu had attacked her. The efficiency and brutality she showed in eliminating the grimm was awe inspiring for the entire team.

Leaping down from a nearby structure the team's overseer walked over to the group. Her helmet was on and reflected the sunlight from above. Pulling out her scroll Cybr typed something on the device. Seconds later each scroll from the team pinged with a message. Taking out their devices they read what Cybr had sent them.

 **Effective job.**

"Um, thank you?" Amber said with a slightly confused smile.

Although they had been with Cybr multiple times the team, mostly Amber still wasn't used to her. Cybr was a mute since birth. Her only form of communication being written or scroll based. She never let herself be defined by her disability however. She had a normal childhood and grew up with an average understanding of the world until she started hunting grim on her own without any formal training. Since then being a huntress was all she knew.

 **With the area clear, reconstruction on this settlement can begin.**

"I think it might be more prudent to establish a perimeter defense while we are here. If we lay the groundwork then the defense force the construction workers bring in will have an easier time holding this place in the event of a surprise attack." Malyganya suggested.

Cybr looked at the girl through the eye sockets of her helm and shrugged slightly.

 **It wasn't in the mission objectives. If you would like to do so, know that you aren't getting paid for extra work.**

"Going above and beyond the call of duty is something our fearless leader excels in." Taz stated with a grin.

"If we do the job right now and do it effectively then there is less of a chance of us being called out here again in the future to deal with a similar issue. This way we can focus our talents in other parts of the kingdom." Malyganya explained as she began to lead her team towards the entrance of the ruined city.

"Stopping a problem before it actually begins. Intelligence, foresight, and beauty; damn is there anything she doesn't have?" Layla commented as she walked next to Taz.

Malyganya and Layla hadn't told their teammates about their relationship yet. While they didn't explicitly hide it from them the two females weren't exactly open about it either. During their outings they slept near one another and they would hold hands at some points during travel. It was the small gestures that they showed one another that made them comfortable with their choice. Their private life was for them alone so unless they were explicitly asked about it then there was no harm in them not telling anyone.

"She doesn't have the sense to take the easy way out." Taz answered with a sigh.

"Taking the easy way doesn't necessarily mean you're taking the best way. If you don't struggle to improve yourself then you'll always be mediocre." Malyganya shot back.

Amber and Layla both laughed as Taz let out an exasperated sigh. The team reached the entrance of the city ruins and began to clear away some debris. Ariana city had been a hub of activity in its prime. It served as a way-point to the north, northwest, and western sections of the kingdom but had been hit with a surprise attack from the creatures of grimm roughly two decades ago. All attempts to rebuild it had been met with failure as the grim population had never dwindled enough for a safe reconstruction project.

The last five years however had seen an increase in the quality of huntsmen and huntresses and after sending in multiple squads for cleanup of the ruins and surrounding area it was determined that as long as the grimm population was kept low enough to get better defenses in place then reconstruction would no longer be a pipe dream.

Looking out towards the mountains on the horizon Team MTAL sighed contently.

"OK so maybe for a view like this, working a little extra is worth our time." Taz stated.

"Let's get to work then."

 _Valethornia Academy - Disciplinary Building_

Lavi Southwark paced back and forth in the waiting area with Viridian and Sable sitting down in the chairs.

"Can you please stop that?" Sable asked looking at her teammate with annoyance.

"I can't, Roanos is finally being released." Lavi answered with a playful smile on her face.

Roanos Stormcloud had been in solitary for a month and a half. While his initial sentencing for the extreme measures he used against Malyganya had only been a month, the young man had purposefully extended his stay by attacking one of his guards. The extended stay had come with the extra punishment of no visitation rights.

The last two weeks had been murder for Lavi. For the entirety of Roanos' incarceration Lavi had made it her mission to visit every day. The two had grown closer over the month. At least that's how Lavi felt. Beneath his dark exterior Lavi had found that Roanos was a tortured soul. He had lost his parents at a young age raised by a man who did nothing but train him until he couldn't stand.

Lavi found herself sympathizing with Roanos over their similar situations. Both were orphans and raised in situations that were less than desirable. She was slowly beginning to understand the connection she felt with him. They were two sides of the same coin. Where Roanos had fallen into darkness and allowed himself to be consumed by it Lavi had broken through and seen that there was light in the world.

She still held her deep seated mistrust of humans and preferred the company of faunus. Her friends, both human and faunus had begun to show her a different side of the world however and she in turn was able to see things from Roanos point of view. Even if the world shunned him and threw him to the wolves Lavi had promised herself that she would stand by his side.

A few minutes later one of the doors opened with a pair of guards walking out first followed by Roanos. The young man hadn't changed much physically, from his time inside but there were some noticeable differences. The first being his entire physique had slimmed down and become very well-toned as well defined. From Sables estimate Roanos had lost roughly thirty to forty pounds or so of fatty tissue and converted it denser muscle.

"Roanos." Sable called out to the teenager, catching his attention as the guards took off his shackles.

"Sable." Roanos replied nodding his head towards her slightly.

"Werden wir mehr probleme haben werden?" Sable asked

"Nein, sire werden nicht mit unseren zielen stören." Roanos replied causing Viridian and Lavi to look between them with confusion.

"That is the same language Roanos and Malyganya spoke during their fight. What are you guys saying?" Viridian asked as he adjusted the device around his neck that allowed him to speak.

"It is nothing that concerns you." Roanos stated sending a weak glare in his teammate's direction before softening his gaze when he caught the disapproving look Sable was giving him.

"What Roanos means is that it isn't important. For now we need to start on team building exercises. Roanos time in solitary has cost us on the rankings board. You guys will have to build that back up so that I can start taking you out for field work." Sable stated as she began to lead the others from the building.

"Roanos, how are you feeling?" Lavi asked looking up at the larger teen.

"I feel good. I'm stronger now than I was a month ago. With nothing to distract me from my training I was able to dedicate my focus to becoming better." Roanos answered.

"I meant how are you doing, emotionally." Lavi clarified.

At this Roanos looked down at the small female and was reminded of another girl who he had let into his life. Shaking his head to clear away the dangerous thoughts that threatened to take control of his mind Roanos shrugged through the answer.

"I'm good. I'm still pissed over the outcome of the match and everything but it only means I need to try harder." Roanos replied.

"Roanos, just because you're out of solitary doesn't mean you have to close yourself off to me. I'm still here for you if you ever want to talk." Lavi tried to assure the anti-socialite of their team.

"Lavi, it is fine. A little fresh air and live combat training is all I need right now. I'll have to acclimate myself to Fenrir again so that he can handle my new power." Roanos said as the team left the disciplinary building.

As they continued their trek through the halls Team SLVR saw the members of Team ORCJ walking around but now they had a female student with them.

"Hey guys!" Viridian called out.

Orpheus, Crimson and Roane all turned around along with the female to catch sight of Viridian and Lavi running over to them. Sable saw that she'd have no choice but to socialize as well and with Roanos bringing up the rear went over to them as well.

"No way, you guys have been reformed?" Lavi said with disbelief in her voice.

"Yea, Henrietta here has joined us and now we are Team OCHR." Roane explained.

"So what happened to the other surviving member of Team SPHR?" Viridian asked looking to Henrietta.

"Palicos is still in a coma. He shows signs of brain function and reacts to outside stimuli so it's not as if he'll never wake from it so there is still hope." the young woman answered.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must be hard on you." Viridian said as he tried to comfort Henrietta.

"It's ok, I've got these guys with me and we've all been through a similar experience so it helps a lot knowing that we are in this together." the green-haired girl said with a smile.

"Carmine." Roanos spoke as he and sable made it to the group.

"Stormcloud." Crimson replied looking up at the larger male with a dangerous glint in his eye.

"The combat rankings; who is number one for the singles at the moment?" Roanos asked while the rest of the teammates from both sides looked on.

"I am the top ranked student at the moment. After your incarceration I took the second place spot and subsequently defeated Malyganya for the top spot and have successfully defended it from her three times in a row." Crimson answered.

"So you've gotten a lot stronger then, in the past month." Roanos stated more than asked.

"Yes, so much so that Malyganya can't beat me. I can sense the strides you've made to surpass her. Your overall level of aura has increased dramatically." Crimson replied.

"So we both strove to outdo our greatest rival and you've succeeded on that front. With nothing more to aspire to what will you do now?" Roanos asked.

"I still have one more person I need to beat in order to believe I'm truly the best." Crimson answered.

"Who would that be?" Roanos said releasing some of his aura as he activated his semblance.

Crimson smirked, never breaking eye contact with Roanos.

"Someone who isn't you."

* * *

A/N: So Team SLVR has returned and I intend for them to have a bigger role in the second arc than they did in the first.


	4. Chapter III

RWBY: Journey of Light and Dark

Chapter III: New Rivalry and Romances

A/N: Hello Everyone. I must apologize for the lateness of this update. I was on vacation for a while and also go into a car accident so it has been a crazy couple of weeks for me. I hope this chapter makes up for it though.

* * *

 _Valethornia Academy_

Crimson Carmine and Roanos Stormcloud never took their eyes away from one another. The air hung heavy with their silence. Crimson's dark ruby-hued irises were calm and steady while Roanos' own dark colored orbs glared with anger. At this point Roanos semblance, Shadow had fully formed and stood next to him. It took the shape of a lithe muscular faceless man and stood roughly a foot shorter than Roanos himself.

"Care to repeat yourself Carmine?" Roanos asked with a dangerous edge in his voice.

"No, but I'll reiterate it for you. You, Roanos Stormcloud are not worth my time. You're weaker than Malyganya which means you're weaker than me." Crimson spoke flatly although the shine as his tattoos began to glow spoke a different tale.

Before either fighter could make a move however Orpheus stepped up and raised his arm in front of Crimson, preventing the white-haired young man from passing. Orpheus looked at Roanos, unafraid with hardened eyes. He then glanced back at Crimson and shook his head slightly.

"Not here Crimson. There's a procedure to things like this and we have more important things to do than deal with a pathetic bully." The leader of OCHR spoke in soft tone that held the weight of authority behind it.

Roanos clenched his fist in anger at Orpheus' dismissal. He remembered how scared the archer had been when they met during the first trial. Now there was no trace of that fear within the young man and it pissed Roanos off even more.

Off to the dis Sable watched the exchange with curious eyes. When Roanos had activated his semblance and released his aura she felt just the tiniest trace of fear in her heart. Roanos hadn't wasted the past month and a half he spent in solitary.

She could feel the power radiating from his body. Confined and alone Roanos had pushed his body through rigorous training and improved his abilities. Slowly Sable felt the fingers of doubt begin to claw at her mind. She wasn't sure she would be able to take Roanos in a rematch, hell he might even kill her if they fought again.

Although it looked as if Roanos was about to make a move on Orpheus, the young leader was one step ahead of the large male.

"Sable, you are the leader of your team. Take Control of your teammate. Had we known things might get ugly we would've simply avoided you when we saw you walking. We aren't looking for a fight." Orpheus stated as his unwavering gaze on Roanos made the man pause.

"Yea, with a smart-ass mouth like that it is hard to figure out if you and your friend want to die or not." Roanos spat glaring at both Orpheus and Crimson.

At this point Sable stepped in and narrowed her eyes at Roanos.

"Roanos, perhaps you didn't learn your lesson last time. You've just gotten out of solitary. Wir haben keine Zeit für mehr Fehler." Sable said in a cold commanding tone.

Roanos looked at Sable and glared at her. Lavi took this moment to grab Roanos's arms with her hands before wrapping herself around his limb.

"Roanos…" The girl cried, almost whining as she looked into Roanos's eyes.

"Dude, you just got out. Now is not the time or place to be picking fights. Settle things in the ring where the win will count for something." Viridian spoke clasping Roanos' free shoulder.

With a growl f frustration Roanos pushed past Orpheus and Crimson with Lavi in tow.

"Don't think this is over runt. You and I have a score to settle. As for you, Carmine we'll settle this in the combat ring soon enough." Roanos called back as he and Lavi turned a corner.

Viridian offered a quick apology to the others before racing after them leaving Sable with Team OCHR.

"You've grown up Orpheus. You're more of a leader now than you were when you first came here." Sable told the young man as she leaned in placing her lips to his ear.

"Confidence and authority like that is extremely attractive. I'll have to keep my eyes on you." The older student whispered to Orpheus before sauntering past him.

Orpheus turned his head to watch the swaying of Sable's hips as she made her way after her team and smirked to himself.

"I could have taken him you know." Crimson's usual monotone voice spoke breaking Orpheus out of his thoughts.

"That's not the issue Crimson." Orpheus stated as he began to lead the team back to their room.

"He wouldn't have been a problem at all. Malyganya beat him and I beat her." Crimson continued.

"Yes but he also spent the past month training. We don't know the extent of his new abilities." Roane interjected as they walked.

"Don't get cocky because you've got all that power. For our work we need you focused." Orpheus said to Crimson.

"Yea I got it, but it feels nice being on top where I rightfully belong. Roanos needs to learn that he won't be getting his way with anyone, anytime soon." Crimson spoke.

Henrietta looked at her teammates, slightly lost at some of what they said. For the few minutes that she had gotten to know them after leaving the headmistress office she found that Roane was the easiest to get along with. He was more level headed than Crimson was as well as being a bit more open than Orpheus. Among the team, he was who she felt most comfortable with.

Initially Roane had been a bit cynical and callous. This gave way to a better understanding of the boy as a person however when Henrietta learned that Jett Volus, the teammate she was replacing had been Roane's secret crush. She could understand what he was going through better than the others as her own crush had also been killed.

Roane was healing as well as she had and she supposed it was due to the nature of his teammates. Roane might not feel comfortable explaining his feelings to the other guys so he kept them bottle up and dealt with what he could. Even if he couldn't turn to Orpheus and Crimson for that kind of support Henrietta was able to tell from the way the three interacted that their friendship was really the only thing keeping Roane as stable as he was.

Sighing softly, Henrietta made a promise to herself to help Roane deal with his issues as best as she could. The group continued walking for a few more minutes before reaching their room. As the entered Henrietta could see a bed near the far end and could only surmise from the bareness that it would be hers.

"Before you get settle in, there are some things we need to discuss." Orpheus spoke as he walked over to one of the beds and motioned for Henrietta to sit across from him.

As the young woman walked over to the bed she noticed how her other two teammates moved. Crimson went over to a nearby wall before placing a foot against it and leaning back, crossing his arms over his chest as he lowered his head and closed his eyes. Roane lay on the opposite side of the bed that Orpheus had indicated she sit on, looking up at the ceiling with his finger interlocked behind his head.

"So is this some sort of hazing?" Henrietta asked as she sat down, her back to Roane.

Orpheus reply was silence as he closed his eyes. The team leader placed his hands together interlocking his fingers before resting his chin upon the knuckles. Henrietta could feel the air thicken as Orpheus thought of what he needed to say.

Out of the corner of her eyes Henrietta noticed Crimson Shaking his head but didn't pay it much mind. Turning back to Orpheus, she decided to give him her undivided attention. Whatever he had to say would obviously be important or else he wouldn't have such a serious expression on his face. Exhaling slowly Orpheus opened his eyes and locked gazes with Henrietta.

"What I am about to tell you doesn't leave this room Henrietta. I want there to be no secrets between us as a team. Since you will be part of this team then it is only right we give you full discretion and the truth." Orpheus spoke never breaking his gaze away from Henrietta.

"You have my word." Henrietta said sincerely causing Orpheus to smile slightly.

"Ok then, here's the deal." Orpheus stated as he began to tell Henrietta everything she needed to know.

 _Valethornia Academy Room - 132B_

As Sable entered the room, she was surprised to see Roanos and Lavi sitting on the couch together. Although it was more accurate to say Roanos was slung across the couch and Lavi was laying against him. Fenrir lay on the floor next to the couch with its eyes closed.

"Well this is an interesting site. Since when have you two been this close?" Sable asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"That is not your concern. Our private affairs are our own." Lavi stated from her prone position on the couch.

"Watch your tone Southwark. I'm still your leader and changes like this are very much a concern of mine. I can't have either of you jeopardizing our team for the sake of personal feelings." Sable spat.

"Knowing when it happened or how long it may or may not have been going on won't change the fact that we are close enough to one another to be comfortable in a position like this." Roanos chipped in keeping his eyes closed.

Sable clenched her jaw as she fought back the urge to lash out at Roanos. She knew he was just doing this to get under her skin and it was working. She still hadn't figured out who his target here was unlike how she had made hers painfully obvious.

Viridian came into the room a few moments later and saw the scene before him before shaking his head and walking past Sable. He went over towards the window and sat in the sill.

"Can't you two go five minutes without jumping down one another's throats?" Viridian asked not looking towards his teammates.

"I probably could if Roanos wasn't so stubborn." Sable answered as she went to her bed and lay down.

Roanos merely snickered in response to Sable's statement causing Viridian to release an exasperated sigh.

"Wake me if you ever decide on what we're going to do for the rest of the day." Roanos said as his breathing slowed.

Sable looked to the couch from her bed where Lavi and Roanos lay. If she didn't know any better, she would've sworn they were a loving couple the way they were cuddled up. She knew Roanos and she knew better than to believe he could ever feel anything other than hate. Closing her eyes Sable began to think of various training regime for her team to begin.

* * *

A/N: Shorter than my usual chapters but it's just laying groundwork for things to come.


	5. Chapter IV

RWBY: Journey of Light and Dark

Chapter IV: The Raid

A/N: Hell I don't even know if people still read this anymore but I've finally settled into my new place so I can get back to writing.

* * *

 _Gorsentine – Warehouse District_

As the cool night air blew throughout the city four figures stood atop a large structure. The sky clear and cloudless shone moonlight upon their bodies. The group of four young adults, revealed by their stature and physique wore similar attire. Their outfits consisted of dark colored long-sleeved shirts underneath similarly colored vests. They each wore a form-fitting mask that covered the lower-halves of their faces as well as different forms of head gear that hid their hair.

Of the four people only one of them wore a dark colored skirt. The lone female of the group wore leggings with the article of clothing as she turned to look at her companions. She could see the focus in their eyes. They had explained everything to her beforehand. At the time it had been easy for her to say yes but now that she was in the thick of things she felt fear began to creep around her chest.

" _Relax Ms. Green, we've done this dozens of times already."_ One of the young men said. The girl heard his voice through her communications device and felt her body relax slightly.

" _Mr. Silver is right; just stick to the plan and things should go smoothly."_ A different voice spoke. This one was a slight more upbeat than the previous one.

" _Mr. Red and Mr. Brown, you both know your roles. Let's get this done."_ The man known as Mr. Silver spoke as he motioned for Ms. Green to follow after one of their companions.

There was a slight shimmer around the group before they all vanished from sight, leaving no trace of their presence behind.

 _Shattered Hollow Stronghold – Security Center_

The guards on station kept their eyes on the monitors for any signs of a disturbance. Over the past month they had been hit at every other facility by an unknown group of assailants. Their leadership had dwindled with each attack. The current boss wasn't trying to take any chances and had everyone on high alert at all times of the day.

Naturally this caused the stress levels of everyone to rise and soon the infighting broke out. Now and then the occasional scuffle would force those in charge of the compounds security to drop what was happening in order to break up the disturbance. Sneaking alongside the wall unseen Mr. Red and Ms. Green approached a group of men currently sitting around. The two infiltrators were completely hidden from sight as Mr. Red took out some small metal balls.

After testing their weight by gently throwing them into the air and catching them, Mr. Red began to flick them at high speeds towards the group. He had angled his shots in a way that the targets would think it was the person next to him that had done something. Sure enough the three men immediately got up and began to cause a ruckus.

A different group of men who had been sitting nearby came over to investigate what was going on. Soon after a fight broke out and a dozen or so men were throwing punches at one another. Ms. Green was impressed with Mr. Red's skill and followed after him as he motioned for them to continue past the group.

As the duo oved through the compound Mr. Red took care to ensure they weren't spotted. The duo had been assigned to the intelligence gathering aspect of the raid. They needed to infiltrate and find any pertaining information of their overall mission. Mr. Red had mapped out the area after frequent scouting and found the most efficient path towards what the group believed was the index library.

Turning a corner Ms. Green and Mr. Red were surprised to find the corridor empty. Mr. Red looked at his watch before motioning for Ms. Green to go back.

" _Mr. Silver, there is something wrong over at our end."_ Mr. Red spoke into his comm.

" _What do you mean something is wrong?"_ Mr. Silver questioned, there was a slight edge in his voice.

" _We are at one of the main junctions and there is no security. All of our intelligence on the matter show that guards are supposed to be patrolling this area."_ Mr. Red replied.

" _Maybe your diversion caused them to switch things up."_ A new voice, which could only belong to Mr. Brown spoke.

" _I don't get that feeling. If anything there should be more security, right?"_ Ms. Green chimed in.

" _Hold on everyone, I've got movement over on my side. It looks like a delivery of some sort."_ Mr. Silver informed the group.

" _Guys, I'm getting a bad feeling about this."_ Ms. Green spoke and the others could hear it in her voice.

" _Relax, and stick to the plan. I'll investigate this a bit more and contact you all with any changes."_ Mr. Silver told the others.

The trio all acknowledged the order before continuing with their assigned roles. Turning the corner once again, Mr. Red and Ms. Green continued along their journey towards the index library.

Within the upper levels of the compound Mr. Brown walked around looking for their secondary objective. He ran into little resistance on his search. Every guard he encountered was dealt with before an alarm could be raised. Opening a room door, Mr. Brown slipped inside as a patrol group made its way by.

He was well aware that stealth was still their greatest weapon for now and tried to use it whenever possible. After peeking out and checking that the area was clear he proceeded once again down the hall. He knew that there were cameras set up and stuck to the blind spots as he made his way upwards even more.

Stopping in front of a door labeled "EXECUTIVE" Mr. Brown smirked beneath his mask before going for the handle.

"Freeze!" voice cried out from his left. Looking up he saw a guard holding a rifle at him. Raising his hands slowly Mr. Brown turned to face the guard.

As the man went to reach for his walkie-talkie that's when Mr. Brown acted. Bursting from his forearms were a pair of wrist-mounted crossbows. Bolts fired from the weapons and struck the man in his left eye and through his neck. He collapsed with a thud causing Mr. Brown to sigh loudly.

The chambers on his weapons rolled over, reloading both of the weapons automatically. Turning to the door, from which sounds of movement were now coming, Mr. Brown readied himself before kicking in the door. The sound of gunfire filled the air as bullets whizzed through the open space and hit nothing.

"Stop firing!" a voice called out above the noise.

Mr. Brown counted down from five after the gunfire stopped before rolling into the door frame and leaping forward. His eyes, alight with an ethereal glow saw everything as he spiraled into the room firing crossbow bolt after bolt into the men. Time seemed to slow as he took down everyone in the room. One target however was not neutralized as he deflected the projectiles with a large fan.

"You won't be taking me down so easily." The man with the fan said as he collapsed the giant device and wielded the collapsed frame like a staff.

Rushing towards Mr. Brown with his weapon, the man struck out trying to hit the dark garbed infiltrator before he could straighten himself out. He was only partially successful however as Mr. Brown used his hand to brace himself along the makeshift staff's shaft. Twisting his body along the length of the weapon Mr. Brown slid down and kicked the man in the face.

Shocked by the attack the man nearly dropped his weapon but opted to open it back into its giant fan form. Mr. Brown was thrown off at this point but landed on a nearby table. The room was very spacious which was why the man had little difficulty wielding his massive weapon in here.

"I take it that you're the one called 'Soliel'" Mr. Brown stated more than asked.

"Doesn't matter if I am. You're one of those fuckers who has been target our establishments. We can't let that slide." Soliel spoke.

Mr. Brown took out a photo and threw it to Soliel.

"We're hunting that man. Help us find him and we'll leave your operation alone. Your other leaders refused so we destroyed their strongholds. We're hoping you might be different." Mr. Brown informed Soliel.

Soliel stole a glance at the person featured in the picture and felt his blood practically freeze in his veins. These people either had a death wish or were out of their minds if they were hunting **that** man. As much as he hated his base being attacked, Soliel actually feared what would happen should these people fail to kill their target and the man find out he aided in the assault upon his person.

Mr. Brown saw the fear in Soliel's eyes and knew already what he had decided. Just like the others, fear of what this man could do outweighed any rational thinking they might have. Like a switch being flipped their fight began.

Soliel charged Mr. Brown as the young man began to fire bolts from his crossbows. The projectiles were swatted away with a wave of Soliel's fan as they clashed. In a swift motion Soliel collapsed the fan and struck Mr. Brown with the frame. The masked man was sent flying backwards into a wall, causing it to dent from the impact.

As he slid down the wall Mr. Brown raised his arms and began to fire more bolts from his weapon. After a few rounds fired the weapons clicked empty but at that point Soliel had already closed the distance between them. Mr. Brown formed a cross guard with his arms in an X-shape as the fan frame collided with him.

The wall shattered as Mr. Brown was thrown through it. Landing in the hallway, Mr. Brown looked up and saw Soliel rushing him again. He leapt backwards avoiding the second strike as he began to rapidly reload his weapons. Within seconds the chambers were filled with bolts and Mr. Brown was firing away at Soliel.

" _Mr. Brown, what the hell is going on? We heard gunfire."_ Mr. Red spoke over the comms.

Mr. Brown avoided another strike from Soliel and countered with a small uppercut to the man's side before release a flurry of kidney blows. The rapid succession of punches against the tender organ caused Soliel to freeze up as a particularly precise punch went to his liver. Mr. Brown finished the combo string by quickly putting Soliel into a head lock before snapping the man's neck.

" _Everything is all good here, Mr. Red. Just get the information we came for."_ Mr. Brown replied before sliding down against a nearby wall.

He looked around at the bodies littering the area and sighed before getting to work hiding them.

* * *

A/N: So a bit short, but I have to get back into the flow of writing again.


	6. Chapter V

RWBY: Journey of Light and Dark

Chapter V: The Return

A/N: I'm feeling confident about this chapter, enjoy.

* * *

 _Gorsentine - Shattered Hollow Outpost_

Mr. Silver jumped down from his perch. Although Mr. Brown had sad not to worry about the gunfire, he could see that the gang members were now rushing about to investigate the commotion. The team had only minutes before they were discovered. He had lost sight of the container that was delivered earlier when the transporters took it into a service elevator going down to the basement level.

Running alongside a nearby wall Mr. Silver made his way into the building with the service elevator. While he was curious about the container, it was one of the men transporting it that had caught his attention. Mr. Silver knew he should have contacted the others once catching sight of him but the rage he felt caused him to throw caution to the wind.

Forcing the doors of the elevator open, Mr. Silver looked down the shaft before grasping the cables holding the traveling container and jumping down after it. Had he not been wearing his gloves Mr. Silver knew the skin on his hands would be torn raw from the descent but the closer he made it to the bottom the less he cared about 'what ifs'. His quarry was close and he was growing impatient.

" _Mr. Silver, its Mr. Red."_ A familiar voice spoke breaking the silence that had been surrounding Mr. Silver for so long.

" _Go ahead Mr. Red, what's up?"_ Mr. Silver, replied as he came to a stop atop the elevator.

It took only moments for him to locate the access panel atop the elevator before pulling himself inside. Fortunately, the cab was empty as Mr. Silver dropped to the ground. He looked at the digital indicator and saw that the elevator was actually two floors above the basement.

" _Mrs. Green and I have made it to their server room. It seems that some sort of weapon was on their manifest for today. It could be what you noticed earlier."_ Mr. Red informed.

" _Can you guys see where it is supposed to be stored? Sasayaki was among its guards. I was following him but lost his trail when he entered a service elevator."_ Mr. Silver informed the others.

" _What?! If you saw him then you should've called us immediately!"_ Mr. Brown practically yelled into the comms.

" _First of all, calm yourself Mr. Brown. Whatever you did put everyone on alert. Once gunfire started the transport crew scurried to bring this weapon to its final destination. I only caught a glimpse of the person. But everything I saw points to him being our target. Secondly, I didn't want to risk the entire team running here without confirmation. With this thing being a weapon, it only makes sense that Sasayaki would be guarding it."_ Mr. Silver stated, almost forgetting that he himself had rushed off knowing full well their target was there.

" _It would seem the storage for the weapon is the first basement floor. Mr. Silver, we've initiated a data upload to the police servers as well as ghosted their drives for ourselves. Once the upload is done everything here will be wiped."_ Mrs. Green informed her leader.

" _Perfect everyone, start making your way to holding area for this weapon. We're going to take Sasayaki to justice before he can use that weapon."_ Mr. Silver commanded the others as his eyes hardened.

Their month and a half long campaign was finally coming to its end. Looking around the immediate area Mr. Silver noticed the sign indicating that he was actually on the basement levels first floor. Confused he looked back inside the elevator cab at the indicator. It still showed that the cab was two floors above the basement.

"You'd think with as much money as this gang moves they'd be able to get their indicators fixed." The young man stated shaking his head as he looked for a place to hide and wait for the others.

Mr. Red and Mrs. Green arrived first, dropping from the ceiling. They saw Mr. Silver and cautiously made their way over to him.

" _There hasn't been any movement down here for a while."_ Mr. Silver informed them.

" _I don't like this. Why would they come down here and not start patrolling?"_ Mr. Red asked.

" _Maybe they're doing something_ with the weapon?" Mrs. Green suggested although there was little confidence in her voice.

" _That's even more of a reason to have guards."_ Mr. Silver replied.

" _Mr. Brown, what's your ETA?"_ Mr. Silver asked

Their comms only came back with static. Mr. Silver tried to hail Mr. Brown once more but was met with only static once more.

" _Move, now!"_ Mr. Silver ordered as the three infiltrators began to run down the corridor.

As the trio sprinted they could faintly hear the sound of fighting in front of them. It only got louder the closer they came. Mr. Silver looked at his two comrades and nodded once to each of them before they all began to glow. Seconds later Mr. Red, Mrs. Green, and Mr. Silver burst into a large room.

Mr. Brown was already inside. He was fighting a large group of opponents by himself while one man stood off to the side laughing maniacally.

"Sasayaki! I'll see you pay for your crimes!" Mr. Brown yelled as he avoided the punch of one of his opponents.

Mr. Silver clenched his fists in anger as his friend faced the overwhelming odds alone.

"Red, Green let go!" he exclaimed as he reached behind himself and drew a bow from beneath his vest.

The bow was collapsed which made it easier to carry, but once it was taken out the weapon expanded into its full form. From its bow form the weapon transformed once more by collapsing the limbs together from the center and locking into place as the inner mechanisms of the weapon turned the bow into a double-blade hand and a half longsword.

With the melee weapon in hand Mr. Silver jumped into the fray alongside Mr. Brown who took the reprieve offered to reload his crossbows. Seconds later Mr. Red joined the other two with an explosive impact as he crashed upon the ground and sent four other combatants flying away. As Mr. Brown rose with his weapons reloaded Mrs. Green made her entrance; she was almost as flashy as Mr. Red as an explosion of green stones erupted from the ground and struck the remainder of the forces.

Sasayaki suddenly stopped laughing and glared at the quartet of foes before him. The dark clad fighters each glared at Sasayaki in turn, each with a weapon drawn except Mr. Red.

"So, you're here for me? We were wondering why the attacks against us had increased so much in the past month. For the life of us we couldn't figure out who we had pissed off enough to warrant such an attack but looking at you now it's easy for me to tell. You're those volunteer brats I tangled with." Sasayaki said as he jumped from the platform he was on.

"You escaped justice that night, but now we're here to see you brought in." Mr. Brown said as he pointed his weapons at Sasayaki.

"These _children_ believe they can bring us in." the deranged young man in front of the group spoke looking off to his side.

"We are bringing you in. Whether you come unharmed is up to you." Mr. Silver said pointing at Sasayaki with his sword.

Mrs. Green looked from her team to Sasayaki. Her weapons of choice were a pair of small double-sided hammers made of dark green metal. The weapons had dark black gem-like cores within them and were attached to ornate metal handles.

"Sorry but we've got important work to get done. We won't be going anywhere with you today." Sasayaki spat as he drew his weapons, a dagger and a sword.

"Dead or alive, you're coming with us!" Mr. Red exclaimed as he charged forward towards Sasayaki.

Pulling back his fist Mr. Red gathered a tremendous amount of energy within himself before punching at Sasayaki. The punch connected and sent a shockwave throughout the area as a small dust cloud formed at the point of impact. When it settled the other three intruders saw that Mr. Red's Punch had been blocked by the broad side of a saw-toothed single-edge sword.

The weapon had bones and knots engraved upon it. The wicked design incorporated a guard in the shape of an eye that was inlaid with ebony. The Grip of the weapon was dark seafoam blue and made of strange metal. Completely the deadly blade was the skull shaped pommel that housed a ruby within the mouth.

The wielder of the weapon was an olive-skinned woman who was covered in scars. She was well built and had dark brown shoulder length hair that was currently free-flowing. Her eye, for she only had one was dark forest green and stared directly into Mr. Red's blood-colored irises.

The woman was dressed in a bronze tank-top with dark green combat pants, similar to the kind the soldiers of the military wore and brown combat boots. Everything about her screamed danger. Mr. Red wasn't deterred as he followed up the punch with a kick that knocked the blade away. At least it moved the blade a tiny bit as Mr. Red flipped away.

Sasayaki chuckled darkly as his associate hefted her weapon and rested the dull-side of the blade on her shoulder. Her eye never left Mr. Red's own as they continued to stare one another down.

"Last time, we couldn't show you our true capabilities. But now we've got unrestricted access to our full potential. You all get to see what it's like to face a Deacon." Sasayaki stated as a dangerous glint sparkled within his eyes.

Mr. Silver looked to Mr. Brown and Mrs. Green as every member of their team including Mr. Red began to glow softly.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Mr. Silver stated before rushing in.

Sasayaki smirked and ran past his female companion to engage the other three combatants.

Mr. Red and the woman continued to glare at one another for a few more seconds as their companions engaged in combat.

"You are strong; Blanka hopes you'll provide her with suitable entertainment." The woman said to Mr. Red as she slammed her sword into the floor and raised her fists. Mr. Red also got into a ready stance as he measured the woman up.

"Blanka wishes to know the name of her victim. What should she put on your tombstone?" the woman, Blanka asked.

"My name doesn't matter, because I won't be the one dying." Mr. Red retorted.

At that the two clashed. Both threw out right straights. With just the subtlest of movements however both Mr. Red and Blanka avoided being hits. The sheer strength and speed of their attacks however caused the air to pop as a small vacuum was instantly formed and air rushed back to fill the space.

Blanka and Mr. Red never missed a beat after their initial punches were thrown. Mr. Red tried to follow up the right straight with a high left kick but the attack was easily blocked by his opponent. Blank grinned slightly, showing of her sharpened teeth. The woman quickly countered with three left-handed body shots to Mr. Red's abdominal core before unleashing a right hook to his face.

Mr. Red stumbled backwards from the blow, surprised at the strength and skill of the woman. _She is a lot stronger than I initially thought. I'll have to get serious in order to beat her._ The young man thought as he straightened himself. Blanka continued to grin as she rushed in at Mr. Red.

She came in at an angle keeping her center of gravity low as her body rolled with the right hook she sent towards Mr. Red. He dodged the attack as well as the follow-up left hook that she sent immediately afterwards. Taking a step back Mr. Red was able to narrowly avoid the right short uppercut aimed at his stomach but had to use his right leg to block the swift left aimed at his side.

With his balance off from the motion Mr. Red had slight difficulty guarding against the onslaught of jabs Blanka sent at him with her right fist. Difficult didn't mean impossible as his cross arm guard prevented the woman from landing any truly damaging blows against him. Using his raised leg, Mr. Red quickly kicked out at Blanka and interrupted her assault.

The shift from defense to offense was everything Mr. Red needed as he went into action. He unleashed a devastating combo upon Blanka. Opening with a powerful uppercut to the woman's chin with his right hand the masked individual followed the attack with a double neck chop once on her right side and then one on the left. With his left hand he proceeded to demolish what little guard she had by striking her chest with a powerful open palm strike.

Stepping into the strike Mr. Red bent his arm before smashing his elbow directly into Blanka's face. The blow threw the woman back several feet as she landed on her back and lay on the ground.

Readying himself for the inevitable counter attack Mr. Red took a second to look over and see how his companions were doing.

Sasayaki was holding his own against the others as the lower half of his body had become something akin to liquid shadow. He had near free range of movement as both Mrs. Green and Mr. Silver tried to assault him with their melee weapons. Mr. Brown was firing his arrows at Sasayaki but he dodged them by fully melding into shadows whenever they came to close.

Hearing movement in front of him, Mr. Red turned his attention back to Blanka as she flipped herself right side up and dusted her body off. She showed little sign of damage from the assault.

"Blanka can see why you're a target of interest, Crimson Carmine." The woman stated with a slight smirk.

Mr. Red narrowed his eyes at the woman and removed his mask and bandana.

"If you knew who I was, why ask for my name?" Crimson asked, never taking his eyes off Blanka.

"Blanka was unsure of your identity before, but after engaging you she has realized that you are you." Blanka answered as she rotated her arms.

"Knowing who I am won't change the outcome of this encounter. I'll take you down as well as Sasayaki and you two shall face justice for your crimes." Crimson stated as he began to draw power from Seiryu.

A dark blue aura surrounded Crimson's arms and hands as he switched his stance slightly.

"Seiryu, your spirit dragon. Or rather part of it." Blanka commented as she got into her own combat stance.

Rushing in towards one another Crimson and Blanka crashed with such force that the ground beneath them crumbled and sunk in from the sheer pressure of their blows. Crimson was the faster of the two if only marginally. His strikes hit first, fast and hard.

A right-left straight combination to Blanka's chest was followed by a right hook the led into a backhanded strike before Blanka was grabbed by the head with Crimson's free hand. He forced the woman's head down, slamming her face against his knee.

Rather than get blown back from the attack Blanka used the slight momentum from being pulled forward to kick Crimson in the face by bending her leg over her body almost like the stinger of a scorpion. The surprisingly quick and efficient hit forced Crimson to let Blanka go.

He was exposed at this point and Blank wasted no time taking advantage of this. She began to quickly weave her body and head in diagonal motions from side to side whiles initially starting with a figure eight weave before becoming a slightly more erratic array of movements. In seconds she had reached her optimal speed and began to rain blows onto Crimson. Given her slight height advantage over Crimson, Blanka incorporated chopping rights, smashes, and hooks into the flurry of blows she unleashed.

The motion of her body with each roll added her full weight and strength to each blow as Crimson was rocked from side to side from each hit. Soon Blanka's hands began glow with a golden glow as her blows became stronger.

 _Seiryu, grant me the strength to withstand her blows._ Crimson thought to himself as he felt the tattoos spread even further along his body. The slight pain from the spread was an indication that he was indeed gaining more of the potential power Seiryu had to offer. He felt the pain subside after it reached slightly pass his shoulder blades near his spine and across his chest near the center of his ribcage.

With Seiryu now reinforcing his body Crimson clenched his teeth and raised his hand, catching Blanka's fist and stopping her mid motion. Blanka noticed that Crimson's glow had spread further along now and encompassed his torso as well as his arms.

"Maybe now you'll-" She began but was interrupted by Crimson punching her straight down through the ground to the floor below before jumping in after her.

From a few feet away, Mr. Brown, Mr. Silver, and Mrs. Green all saw their companion drop down after his opponent with mixed expressions show only through their eyes.

"Well shit, I guess there is no more point to these masks and our codenames. It seems like they already knew who we were." Mr. Brown said as he took off his cap and mask revealing himself to be Roane Grant.

"Crimson did say he had a bad feeling about this. I also said something didn't feel right. It was just an elaborate trap to get us out the picture." Mrs. Green, now revealed to be Henrietta Jade said softly as her eyes shifted from the hole to Sasayaki.

"Be that as it may, we have Sasayaki. That was always our end goal." Mr. Silver spoke as his mask dropped from his face and he revealed his identity as Orpheus Argento.

Sasayaki merely cackled at the trio.

"You think the three of you will be enough to take us down? You have no idea what you are getting yourselves into. You thought we were merely some peons for this shitty organization. Allow us to reintroduce ourselves." Sasayaki said as his entire body was engulfed in shadow.

The trio's eyes widened as Sasayaki's shadowy form contorted itself into an inhuman shape.

"We are Sasayaki, Third Deacon of Lucidiores Umbras' Schatten Group." The creature said as a multitude of voices spoke at the same time.

"Call yourself whatever you want, we will see you and all your comrades fall." Orpheus stated as he readied his weapon.

Henrietta and Roane followed suit as the trio prepared to face the monstrous being in front of them.

"This is going to be fun!" Sasayaki exclaimed as he rushed the three young adults.

Orpheus met the charge as he and Sasayaki locked blades. Henrietta ran in from the side swinging her hammers as she tried to smash them into Sasayaki. The weapons passed through his shadowy form however. Quickly solidifying himself Sasayaki kicked Henrietta twice, once in the chest and once in the face before pulling his dagger back a bit and stabbing out at Orpheus.

The weapon was knocked from his hand by an arrow, courtesy of Roane as the archer began release a barrage of projectiles at Sasayaki. The shadow man released a shrill hiss as he retreated from the attack and tried to go after Henrietta. The young woman was ready for him however as she slammed both her hammers into the ground and sent a wave of emerald colored spikes at Sasayaki.

Many of the spikes pierced through Sasayaki but didn't stop him from moving. As he closed in on Henrietta the spikes exploded with a flash of green. With this Sasayaki cried out in pain as his form was shredded apart. Orpheus chose this moment to come in and swipe at Sasayaki's damaged form.

His blade encountered zero resistance as it passed through the shadow. Sasayaki retreated and gathered his sword up as he distanced himself from the three, specifically Henrietta.

"Something about your attack has him weary." Orpheus whispered.

"Yea, I think it's the light refraction from the explosion. Because it's not natural light it damages his shadow form." Henrietta suggested.

"So this is about to become a literal light vs dark fight." Roane said with a smile.

"It would appear so, however now that he is aware of the danger we can't expect Sasayaki to just come at us. We'll have to give Henrietta an opening." Orpheus commented as he increased the strength of his semblance. Ever since entering the room, Team OCHR hand been linked together sharing information and aura with one another.

Unbeknownst to the others though, Orpheus had found another use for link that he was dying to try out in the field. Closing his eyes, Orpheus focused on his link with Crimson. With their souls linked together Orpheus could feel the presence of Seiryu within Crimson and reached out to it. At first the collection of souls refused to the connection but after a slight coaxing from Orpheus accepted.

Now accessing a portion of the power Crimson had, Orpheus felt a surge of energy flow through him and into both Roane and Henrietta. Applying the new aura as well as one of the semblances that had become available through the link directly into his weapon Orpheus saw his blade become engulfed in light.

"Roane, we're doing maneuver eighty-four!" Orpheus exclaimed as he charged Sasayaki.

Clashing near the hole that had been created only minutes before, Sasayaki and Orpheus began exchanging blows with their bladed weapons. Henrietta ran to assist Orpheus but was stopped as shadowy tendrils rushed along the ground from beneath Sasayaki and began to attack her.

Henrietta immediately created a wall of spikes around her by slamming her hammers into the ground. The tendrils were impaled upon the spikes and forced to stop their advance. _Unlike his main body the tendrils have to stay in a solid state to function._ Henrietta thought, sending the information to everyone else via the link.

Nodding slightly at this, Orpheus blocked the sword strike that had been sent his way before dodging the follow up stab and countering with a slash from his blade. Sasayaki cried out as the weapon tore through him but instead of retreating like he had done with Henrietta the man instead let out a flurry of cuts and slashes across Orpheus' arms and chest.

Orpheus felt his protective aura levels dropping as he tried to defend himself. Seiryu could only provide so much power at a time through the link since it was still powering Crimson. Seconds later Orpheus felt himself thrown backwards as Sasayaki kicked him to the side. As Orpheus crashed to the ground Sasayaki tried to close in for the kill.

He was suddenly peppered with numerous arrows from above as Roane finally made his move.

"Justice rains from above!" Roane exclaimed as arrow after arrow was launched.

Sasayaki growled and roared in anger as he jumped into the air and began to streak towards Roane.

"Justice this, justice that we think justice needs a nap!" Sasayaki cried out as he slammed the entirety of his body in to Roane and sent the archer rocketing backwards.

The shadow formed figure didn't let up however as he pursued Roane, pinning the young man between the wall and himself. Producing his blades Sasayaki cackled evilly before striking at Roane multiple times.

"Roane, no!" Orpheus yelled as he watched helplessly form the ground.

"Henrietta, stairway to heaven!" the leader of OCHR commanded as he sword changed back into its bow form.

Henrietta nodded slammed one of her hammers into the ground before following up with a second hammer strike roughly at the same spot. Instead of spikes forming from the impact, a wave was formed beneath the ground sending a mound of flooring towards Orpheus. When it reached him, the mound immediately shot upwards out the ground at an angle as a stalagmite which brought Orpheus towards his friend. From the stalagmite Orpheus pulled out an arrow made of the same type of stone-like material before notching and releasing the projectile into Sasayaki's back.

 _Elsewhere_

He heard he sounds of combat nearby. The rhythmic thumping and crashing as blows landed. He could not move however. He was restrained and as much as he wished to join the fight he could not. Voices, both familiar and unfamiliar flowed through the air. There was fear in the sounds the voices made. There was anger in the sounds the voices made. There was a longing in the sound the voices made.

 _I need to fight._

 _I need to be there._

 _I can't be here._

 _I need to be free._

 _I won't be contained!_

 _ **Halcyon Systems Activated**_

He knew this voice; it was his own. The second voice in his head that had come forth when he was reborn.

He opened his eyes and saw that he was encased in something. It didn't matter though, since he was going to free himself. Clenching his fist, he activated his combat functions and broke through the container before looking upwards towards the location he needed to go. Kneeling slightly, he jumped fists first and burst through the ceiling towards the floor above.

 _Basement Floor One_

The arrow flew through Sasayaki and into Roane's shoulder. Crying out in pain Roane was stabbed twice in the stomach by Sasayaki before a second arrow struck the man's arm before exploding seconds later. Sasayaki dropped Roane from the wall to the ground and turned to face Orpheus but was instead met with a giant stalagmite crashing into him.

Henrietta rushed over to where Roane and Orpheus were hiding. She knew that her construct wouldn't hold Sasayaki forever and had to ensure that her teammates were safe. When she arrived at their spot she saw that Orpheus was trying to give Roane some emergency first aid.

"How bad is it?" Henrietta asked, kneeling next to the young men.

"It looks pretty bad. Got a lung and what looks like the stomach. I'm no doctor and the best we can do is patch him up." Orpheus stated as Roane groaned in pain.

"This guy is a lot stronger than we thought. What the hell were we thinking coming after him like this?! We aren't even full-fledged hunters!" Henrietta started to scream frantically.

Orpheus turned to the girl and slapped her across the face before forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"Calm the fuck down. Right now we're a man down. Crimson's cut his connection with the link so we have to assume that he might be down too. Now our opponent has taken a bit of damage. I'm going to borrow your semblance for a bit and try to finish him off." Orpheus told Henrietta.

"What do you mean borrow my semblance?" the young woman asked with confusion evident on her face.

Seconds later she felt a short tug on the link between her soul and Orpheus' own. Orpheus opened his hand and a small green stone formed from the air.

"Alright, you guard Roane. I'm going to take Sasayaki down." Orpheus spoke as he moved from cover.

Mere seconds later Henrietta heard the sounds of fighting begin again. She peaked over the cover that she and Roane were behind and saw that Sasayaki was overpower Orpheus. The shadow-like creature was forcing her leader back with speedy powerful strikes.

Just as it looked like Sasayaki was going to get in a kill strike, the floor erupted and a creature of some sort flew into Sasayaki. Surprise was evident on everyone's faces as the creature began to rapidly stab at Sasayaki with to tentacle like appendages that came from the back of its shoulder blades. Henrietta didn't know what it was but she wa thankful that it had decided not to attack Orpheus. Sasayaki began crying out for mercy as his shadow form faded but the creature wouldn't stop its attack.

"STOP!" a voice cried from the far side of the room.

Henrietta, Orpheus, and the creature all turned to face the source of the noise and saw Blanks. Her clothes were in tatters. Her top was completely gone which exposed her bare chest to everyone. In her right hand the woman held an unconscious Crimson Carmine by the neck.

The white-haired fighter looked worse for wear than Blanka did. He was bleeding from his nose and lips. Both his eyes were blackened with the left one swelling up. There were bruises covering the entirety of his body and that wasn't even the worst of his injuries. From what could be seen, Crimson's right leg had been broken in three places.

"Let Blanka's comrade go or this one dies and then the rest of you die." Blanka told the group.

The creature turned to face Blanka. It was humanoid shaped. Chitinous-like armor covered most of its body including its legs, shoulders, torso, forearms, and neck. Atop the creature's head was a visored helmet of some sort that left everything below the eye-line open. Upon closer inspection one could see the face was human.

This was a person with strange armor. This person had saved Team OCHR however which meant to Henrietta that at least they weren't an enemy.

"Make your choice or Blanka will make it for you." Blanka said as she tightened her grip around Crimson's throat.

The mysterious armored figure raised his hand as if reaching out to crimson but stopped himself from moving. Looking at the mutilated Sasayaki, the armored figure lowered its head in defeat before tossing the man towards Blanka. Blanka responded in kind by sending Crimson through the air towards them.

"He is good, but he is no rival. Tell him Blanka awaits rematch when he is at full power." Blanka spoke as she walked over to where her sword stood planted tip first in the ground.

"You won't get away with this. We will find you, all of you. You, him, and your organization will all be hunted and brought down, I swear it." Orpheus said as he stood and pointed his sword towards the duo. Blanka merely laughed and turned away.

"Don't forget, you lost this battle tonight little one. You are but flies trying to escape the wind that is the storm of fate." Blanka said before disappearing back into the hole.

Orpheus swore and punched the ground in anger. They had been so close. After everything they strove for Sasayaki escaped and they were no closer to bringing Jett's killer to justice. The armored fighter walked over to Orpheus and placed his hand on young leader's shoulder.

"Thank you, for saving me." Orpheus spoke as he rose slightly to look the stranger over.

"Anytime, isn't that the point of having a meat shield?" the person spoke.

Orpheus' eyes widened with surprise.

"No, no you couldn't be. We saw your remains. You are dead!" Orpheus exclaimed.

The armored man merely smirked as the chitinous plates retracted themselves into his skin. The helmet was the last part to go and it was then Henrietta saw something she would remember till she died. Orpheus began to cry as he hugged the stranger.

"You didn't think you guys were gonna get rid of me that easily now did you." The young man asked, still smirking.

"No I suppose we could never get rid of you." Orpheus replied as he broke away.

The two young men continued to look at one another with smiles upon their faces.

"Welcome back, Jett."

* * *

A/N: God damn, that was crazy to write. Hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know if you did or didn't with a review. It's literally the only way to gain feedback from you guys.


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